Chamber and committees

Anonymous submission of 25 June 2021

PE1865/K - Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices

I am writing this email to support the above petition. I have been terribly injured by medical mesh since 2008. Since then my life has been horrendous. I went to see a surgeon at the Nuffield hospital in Glasgow as the waiting lists at Crosshouse in Ayrshire were long. I had a mild cervical prolapse. The surgeon there told me he would remove the cervix and insert a small piece of medical mesh to strengthen my organs. I was given no other information and didn't doubt his word as I was told by Crosshouse that he was an expert. I was not warned about any potential problems and was given NO information about the mesh.

The aftercare was dreadful. I had 1 follow up appointment and later when I was still in pain called the hospital and was told it would settle down eventually. After more than a year of severe pain was told by my gp that the mesh had eroded through my muscles and had to be removed. I was again misinformed by the removing surgeon in 2011 who told me it would all be removed to wake up in the worst pain imaginable and told flippantly that he couldn’t get it all out- no other explanation.

Since then I have a double prolapse, am incontinent, am unable to have intercourse-thus my marriage broke up. I now live in a caravan having lost my house. I had to give up my full-time post as a charge nurse and now work part time in a call centre. I have no social life and am very depressed. I have tried to get someone to listen and help me but have no trust in the medical establishment and don’t know who to turn to. I’m terrified as I see reports of top surgeons accepting large amounts of money from mesh makers - including government witnesses.

I feel my submission should be taken into account as brief as it is - is important to the petition as medical mesh has ruined my life and I like many others affected by this poison don’t live any more we just exist.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.